Sulfur Gas Emissions From Stored Flue Gas Desulfurization Sludges

The emissions of volatile sulfur-containing compounds from 13 flue gas desulfurization (FGD) sludge field storage sites have been characterized. Sulfur gas emissions from the sludge surfaces were determined by measuring the sulfur gas enhancement of sulfur-free sweep air passing through a dynamic emission flux chamber placed over selected sampling sites. Samples of the enclosure sweep air were cryogenically concentrated in surface-deactivated Pyrex “U” traps. Analyses were conducted by wall-coated, open-tubular, capillary column, cyrogenic gas chromatography using a sulfur-selective, flame photometric detector. Several major variables associated with FGD sludge production processes were examined in relation to the measured range and variations in sulfur fluxes including: (a) the sulfur dioxide scrubbing reagent used, (b) sludge sulfite oxidation, (c) “unfixed” or “fixed” FGD sludge, and (d) ponding or landfill storage. The composition and concentration of the measured sulfur gas emissions were found to vary with the type of sludge, the effectiveness of rainwater drainage from the landfill surface, the method of impoundment, and the sulfate/sulfite ratio of the sludge. Hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, and dimethyl disulfide were identified in varying concentrations and ratios in the FGD sludge emissions. In addition, up to four unidentified organo- sulfur compounds were found in the emissions from four FGD sludges. The sulfur flux from one FGD storage pond was analyzed by gas chromatography-single ion monitoring mass spectrometry. In addition to the four identified sulfur compounds, this flux contained large concentrations of benzene, toluene, and α-pinene. The measured, total sulfur emissions ranged from less than 0.01 to nearly 0.3 kg of sulfur per day for an equivalent 100 acre (40.5 hectare) sludge impoundment surface.     

A Reassessment of the Economic Effects of Ozone on U.S. Agriculture

The potential adverse effects of environmental change on agriculture have motivated considerable public research on this topic. Acid deposition, gaseous air pollutants, stratosphere ozone depletion and "green house" phenomena, individually and in combination, have been or are being evaluated in terms of effects on agricultural productivity. Assessments of the economic consequences of such effects have also been performed as input into the regulatory process. As with any applied bioeconomic analysis, the credibility of these economic assessments is dependent on the quality of the natural science and other data on the pollutant In question.

The ability of economists to assess the agricultural effects of one important pollutant, tropospheric ozone, has been Improved by the recently completed National Crop Loss Assessment Network (NCLAN). The structure, protocols and initial plant science findings of this U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program have been presented in this journal (see, for example, Heck et al).^1-2 In a related article,³ we reported the economic consequences of those preliminary ozone crop yield effects. Summary plant science findings have now been published.⁴

We provide here a more complete analysis of estimated benefits from reductions in troposphere ozone based on the final results of the NCLAN plant science research. In doing so, we concentrate on improvements in the modeling and underlying data which are reflected In this current assessment. While uncertainties still remain, these improvements should result in more defensible estimates of the magnitude of ozone’s effects on U.S. agriculture.     

Reductive dechlorination of a chlorinated solvent plume in Houston,Texas

Chlorinated solvents such as tetrachloroethene (perchloroethene, PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) have been extensively used in various industrial applications for many years. Because neither are typically consumed through their various uses, they are often released to the environment through industrial application or disposal. Once released, PCE and TCE tend to migrate downward into groundwater, where they persist. In the current case study, cheese whey was used as a groundwater amendment to facilitate the reductive dechlorination of a chlorinated solvent plume underlying an auto dealer/repair shop in Harris County, Texas. From September 2010 to January 2014, over 32,000 gallons of cheese whey were injected into the subsurface resulting in a marked reduction in oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) and nitrate concentrations, coupled with an increase in ferrous iron concentrations. Statistical trend analyses indicate the primary contaminants, PCE and TCE, as well as the daughter product cis‐1,2‐dichloroethene (cDCE), all exhibited a positive response, as evidenced by statistically decreasing trends, and/or reversal in concentration trends, subsequent to cheese whey injections. Maximum concentrations of PCE and TCE in key test wells decreased by as much as 98.97 percent and 99.17 percent, respectively. In addition, the bacterial genus Dehalococcoides, capable of complete reduction of PCE to non‐toxic ethene, was found to be more abundant in the treatment area, as compared to background concentrations. Because cheese whey is a by‐product of the cheese making process, the cost of the product is essentially limited to transport. This study demonstrates cheese whey to be an effective groundwater amendment at a cost which is orders of magnitude lower than popular industry alternatives.     

Air pollutant emissions from the development,production, and processing of Marcellus Shale natural gas

The Marcellus Shale is one of the largest natural gas reserves in the United States; it has recently been the focus of intense drilling and leasing activity. This paper describes an air emissions inventory for the development, production, and processing of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale region for 2009 and 2020. It includes estimates of the emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO_x), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and primary fine particulate matter (≤2.5 µm aerodynamic diameter; PM_2.5) from major activities such as drilling, hydraulic fracturing, compressor stations, and completion venting. The inventory is constructed using a process-level approach; a Monte Carlo analysis is used to explicitly account for the uncertainty. Emissions were estimated for 2009 and projected to 2020, accounting for the effects of existing and potential additional regulations. In 2020, Marcellus activities are predicted to contribute 6–18% (95% confidence interval) of the NO_x emissions in the Marcellus region, with an average contribution of 12% (129 tons/day). In 2020, the predicted contribution of Marcellus activities to the regional anthropogenic VOC emissions ranged between 7% and 28% (95% confidence interval), with an average contribution of 12% (100 tons/day). These estimates account for the implementation of recently promulgated regulations such as the Tier 4 off-road diesel engine regulation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Oil and Gas Rule. These regulations significantly reduce the Marcellus VOC and NO_x emissions, but there are significant opportunities for further reduction in these emissions using existing technologies.

Implications: The Marcellus Shale is one of the largest natural gas reserves in United States. The development and production of this gas may emit substantial amounts of oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds. These emissions may have special significance because Marcellus development is occurring close to areas that have been designated nonattainment for the ozone standard. Control technologies exist to substantially reduce these impacts. PM_2.5 emissions are predicted to be negligible in a regional context, but elemental carbon emissions from diesel powered equipment may be important.     

Particle laden flows through an inverted chimney with applications to ocean carbon sequestration

Plumes of negatively buoyant hydrate particles, formed by reacting liquid CO₂ with seawater at ocean depths of 1000–1500 m, have been suggested as a way to help sequester CO₂. The vertical flux of CO₂ can be increased by constructing a shroud around the hydrate particle source to shelter the plume from effects of ambient stratification and current. The shroud also serves as an inverted chimney, inducing a down draft that will transport the dissolving particles to a depth of lower ambient disturbance. Laboratory PIV measurements are compared to an analysis of an idealized shroud that is long, frictionless and driven by a single phase source of buoyancy distributed uniformly over the shroud base. Results indicate that induced draft, and hence dilution of dissolved CO₂, increases with plume buoyancy, and shroud length and diameter, but efficiency decreases with increasing ratio of particle slip velocity divided by the characteristic induced draft velocity. While larger particles show reduced plume-like behavior and hence are less efficient in inducing draft, they still generated about half of the theoretically predicted flow.     

Programs assessing implementation and effectiveness of state forest practice rules and BMPs in the West

The major forest nonpoint source control programs in the West are largely regulatory, either under forest practices acts (California, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) or a streamside management act (Montana). These programs and the specific rules they enforce continue to undergo intensive scrutiny. Still, the questions are the same for these regulatory programs as for states that base nonpoint source control on voluntary BMPs (Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming). Are the rules or BMPs being applied, and are they effective in reducing nonpoint source pollution to levels that protect beneficial uses of water? The level of debate about forestry in the West has resulted in detailed monitoring and research to answer these questions. In the past, state agencies have assumed levels of BMP compliance based on the percent of operations without enforcement actions. These estimates are being replaced by statistically valid and reproducible monitoring of forest practices rules and BMP compliance levels. BMP effectiveness is being assessed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. This can involve field assessments, process-based research, and control watershed studies. Some trend monitoring is also beginning. With the regional implementation rate for forestry BMPs at about 94% and rising, it is likely that effectiveness testing will continue to be a priority and consume the majority of assessment resources for this region.     

Oxidation of natural and synthetic hormones by the horseradish peroxidase enzyme in wastewater

Steroid estrogens, including both natural estrogens (e.g., estrone - E1; 17beta-estradiol - E2; and estriol - E3) and synthetic estrogens (e.g., 17alpha-ethinylestradiol - EE2), are known as endocrine-disrupting compounds. The objective of this research was to evaluate the feasibility of the enzymatic oxidation of estrogens and to optimize this process in municipal wastewater contaminated with steroid estrogens using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide. An initial HRP activity of 0.02 U ml(-1) was sufficient to completely remove EE2 from the synthetic solution, although greater HRP doses (up to 0.06 U ml(-1)) were required to remove E1, E2 and E3. The optimal molar peroxide-to-substrate ratio was determined to be approximately 0.45. Based on the Michaelis-Menten kinetics, the HRP had an increasing reactivity with E1, E3, E2, and EE2, in increasing order. In real activated sludge process effluent, an HRP dose of 8-10 U ml(-1) was required to completely remove all of the studied estrogens, while only 0.032 U ml(-1) of HRP was necessary to treat synthetic water containing the same estrogen concentrations.     

Zinc, copper and nickel concentrations in soil extracts and crops grown on four soils treated with metalloaded sewage sludges

Sludges containing high concentrations of zinc, copper or nickel and an uncontaminated sludge were added to two sandy loams (pH 6.5 and 7.1), a heavy clay (pH 6.3) and a calcareous clay (pH 7.8) to give ten sludge treatments for each soil. The mixtures were incubated fallow, cropped continuously with clover, or cropped with barley and red beet in rotation for 21 months. The quantity of added metal either in the soil solution or extracted by 0.1m CaCl(2) depended on the metal loading, pH and soil cation exchange capacity, and changed with time after mixing soils and sludges. Crop metal concentrations, and the occurrence of metal-induced yield reductions, also depended on soil properties as well as metal loading. The best chemical extractant for predicting plant metal concentrations was 0.1m CaCl(2).